Tank-car.



No. 723,312. PATENTED MAR.'24, 19 03. 0. L. ROGERS & M. s. SHOTWELL. TAN-K GAR.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 30, 1902.

10 MODEL SHEETS-SHEET 1,. 4

THE Noam: Parse; c6. PHOTO-LATHO" WKSHINOTON..I?- c.

PATENTED MAR.24,1903. 0. 1-... ROGERS & M. s SHOTWELL.

TANK GAR.

APPLIOATIOIT I'ILBD 001 .30, 190 no MODEL; 2 sums-sum 2 on substantially the scale of Fig. 3.

I 40 position.

UNITED STATES EEICE.

CH LES L. ROCERS',OF BERWICK, AND MELANCTIIO S. SHOTWELL, OF .MILTON', PENNSYLVANIA, SsIeNORs T0 AMERICAN CAR & FOUNDRY COMPANY, on T. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPOR TION OF NEW JERSEY.

TANK-CAR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 723,312, dated March 24; 1903.

Application filed October 30, 1902.

To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that we, CH RLES L, ROGERS, residing at Berwick, county of Columbia, and M LANCTHON S. SHOTWELL, residing at Mil- 5 tou,countyofNorthumberland,Stateof Pennsylvania, citizens of the United States, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tank-Oars, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as to will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this, specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a tankcar equipped with our improvement. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of one end of thecar shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4c is a broken end view Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail from Fig. 3. Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively top andside viewsof" the; connection between theside rod and end band. Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken through'Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary enlarged view of al modification, and Figs. 10 and 11 are respectively top and front views of the portion of the modification of Fig. 9 where the end band and vertical rod are connected.

This invention relates to improvements in tank -cars; and it consists particularly in means for securing the tank in positionon the supporting-framework of the cat, the object thereof being to prevent longitudinal shifting 3 5 of said tank when the car is subjected to the jolting commonly incident to the practical use of such cars. To that end there are provided means, as willbe hereinafter more fully described, whereby the tank is held firmly in Referring to the drawings, A represents the frame of a car, whichmay be of any'desired construction, either of wood ormetal, in which E representsfside sillsz C, the head:

blocks; D, 'theneedle-beammD, the usual trussrod s,;.E,the end sills; F, the usual handrails running longitudinally at the sides of the car, and GG' the usual tank-bands for securing the tank H in position. Between the needle-beams suitable filler-blocksl are placed, extending entirely across the space $erialNo. 129,458. (No model.)

between them and contacting with both needle-beams.

The tank is supported upon suitable crosstimbers I, and the head-blocks C have been commonly located so as to receive-the end thrust of the tank, with the result that such tank is frequently injured by violent contact therewith, rendering frequent repairs necessary. To avoid such injury, the invention provides a suitably-supported head-band 2, which is supported in such position at the ends of the tank in contact therewith as to prevent longitudinal thrustof said tank,while the head-blocks instead of receiving the primary thrust actronly as safeguards,. cooperating with the head-bands. Extendingdownwardly in an oblique direction from the ends of said head-bands are truss-rods 3, which are connected to opposite needle-beams ]D, said rods crossing about midway the length of the car. The ends of said rods 3 are provided with screw-threaded portions overwhich'a're slipped washers 4c and nuts 5, whereby the tension of said rods maybe increased as desired, whereby a truss structure is formed in which the tank forms the compression member, the rods 3 the tension members, the needle-beams serve as queen-posts, and the fillerblock, framing, and central saddles I form the strut. The end tank-bands G are each provided with clips 6, through which said bands 2 are projected and between which and the middle portionof the car the rods 3 are bifurcated, as shown in Fig. 6,.wh'ile the ends 7 of the end bands are thickened by upsetting the material thereof, said upset portion resting between the bifurcated end portion 8 of said rod, where said parts are secured in position by means of the bolt 9, said bolt having a shank portion, on the end of which is a screwthreaded reduced end 10, whichscrewsinto the inner member of the bifurcated end 8'of the rod 3, the shoulder of said bolt servingas a stop -to prevent said bolt passingwinl far 5 enough to injure the tank, as it might if it projected beyond the metal of the rod at 8. Said bolt has a head 9 and is provided with a nut-lock 10 of any suitable character to prevent accidental displacement.

In the construction illustrated in Figs. 3, i, and 5 a bracket 11 is shown consisting of two straps suitably riveted together and secured to the head-block, one of said straps rising vertically, while the other follows closely the contour of the end of the tank. The vertical member of the bracket rises above the headband 2 and is there turned in at a right angle where its end abuts against the end of the tank. The opposite member of the bracket terminates below the band 2 and is riveted to its companion member, the angular portion and the upper end of the relatively short member thereby forming a seat or pocket in which is held the band 2, which is there riveted to the bracket, and thereby firmly supported in position.

In the modification shown ,in Figs. 9, 10, and 11 the head-block G is bored for a rod 15, provided with a screw-threaded portion 16, passing through said head-block, above which is a Washer 16 and nut 17 to support the rod, while on the lower end thereof is a washer 18 and a nut 19, whereby the rod is properly held in vertical position. At the upper end the rod 15 passes through a clip 20, riveted to the headband 2, and above said clip is a nut 21, screwed onto a screw-threaded portion of said rod, the screw threaded portion being reduced, thereby leaving a shoulder on rod 15 for supporting the clip and the band to which it is connected. v

Thus it will be seen that by use of this invention a tank-car may be produced on which the tank will be firmly secured against longitudinal movement, the strain being exerted across the swell of the end thereof and transmitted to the frame of the car, the whole structure being supported in position without passing any supporting rivets therefor through the wall of the tank, as is common in tank-car construction at present.

We are aware that minor changes in the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of our car may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a tanlecar, an underframing, a cylindrical tank supported upon lateral members comprising a portion of said underframing, a restraining-band extending across the ends of the tank, means for supporting said band, and connecting means between said band and the said underframing; substantially as de scribed. 4

2. In a tank-car, an underframing, a cylindrical tank supported upon lateral members comprising a portion of said underframing, straps partly surrounding said tank and secured to said underframing, a restrainingband extending across the ends of the tank,

means independent of said tank for support- 3. In a tank-car, means for preventing longitudinal thrust of the tank connected from means held in position across the ends of the tank to the needle-beams; substantially as described.

4:. Ina tank-car, means for preventing longitudinal thrust of the tank connected from means secured in contact with the ends of the tank to the needle-beams without riveting to the tank; substantially as described.

5. In a tank-car, an underframing, a cylindrical tank supported upon lateral members comprising a portion of said underframe, means for preventing longitudinal thrust of the tank, comprising a head-band in contact therewith, supporting means therefor at its ends and about midway its length, and means for connecting the said head-band with the framework of the car'; substantially as described.

6. In a tank-car, a head-band, supporting means therefor, and brace-rods running from said head-band to the needle-beams of the car; substantially as described.

7. In a tank-car, a head-band, supporting means therefor, brace-rods running from said head-band to the needle-beams of the car, and a filler-block between said needle-beams; substantially as described.

8. In a tank-car, side sills,.end sills, headblocks, and needle-beams, and means-connected from said needle-beams for preventing longitudinal thrust of said tank against said head-blocks; substantially as described.

9. In a tankcar, side sills, end sills and needle-beams, and means connected from said needle beams for preventing longitudinal movement of said tank; substantially as described.

10. In a tank-car, an underframing comprising longitudinal sills, end sills and intermediate transverse members, a cylindrical tank supported on said transverse members, a head-band supported at each end of said tank substantially in contact therewith in position to serve as a stop to prevent longitudinal shifting thereof, and means connecting said headband with the means for supporting said tank;

substantially as described.

11. In a tank-car, a truss structure in which the tank forms the compression member, in combination with tension members connected to needle-beams forming part of the framing of said car; substantially as described.

12. In atank-car, a truss structure in which the tank forms the compression member, in combination with tension members connected to the needle-beams, and an interposed fillerblock; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we hereunto afiix our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES L. ROGERS. MELANCTHON S. SI-IOTWELL.

Witnesses:

JOHN I-LVFERRIS, S. R. PEALER. 

